.404's Chicks 21st July 2002
On 21st July 2002 .404 the Gold Campine hen hatched 6 chicks, (4 campines and 2 silkies), from ten eggs that were set under her when she went broody.
Above: .404 actually hatching her chicks.
On the following day I photographed the new chicks.
The four campines have the typical campine markings, and vary in colour from a bright ginger to a pale cream. The pale chicks will be silver campines, the darker ones gold.
The two silkie-campine cross chicks are extremely cute:-
The young chicks which were hatched by The Blimp are now over eight weeks old and fully feathered, and therefore ready to be seperated from their 'mother'. I first removed the Blimp (placing her back in the enclosure with Fred, and Hope the blue silkie who is currently broody, and due to hatch), and replaced her with Phoebe, her rejected chick. The four campine chicks coped very well without The Blimp, and allowed Phoebe to join them without too much bother, although they ensured that she's at the bottom of the pecking order. After a few days I moved them to a larger enclosure in the front garden, and then moved .404 and her chicks into the now vacant enclosure.
Genetics
Fred is:- plumage = S+s+ Pg Ab Db ER id+ Hf
.404 is:- plumage = s+s+ Pg Ab Db ER id+
The Campine chicks are silver and gold phenotype, some slightly paler than others.